Texas' first lady rallies for Mansion restoration effort

Anita Perry appeals for donations after fire damages landmark

Texas first lady Anita Perry announces the formation of the Texas Governor's Mansion Restoration Fund to raise money to restore the 152-year-old structure after it was damaged by an arsonist.

Texas first lady Anita Perry announces the formation of the Texas Governor's Mansion Restoration Fund to raise money to restore the 152-year-old structure after it was damaged by an arsonist.

Photo: HARRY CABLUCK, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo: HARRY CABLUCK, ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Texas first lady Anita Perry announces the formation of the Texas Governor's Mansion Restoration Fund to raise money to restore the 152-year-old structure after it was damaged by an arsonist.

Texas first lady Anita Perry announces the formation of the Texas Governor's Mansion Restoration Fund to raise money to restore the 152-year-old structure after it was damaged by an arsonist.

Photo: HARRY CABLUCK, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Texas' first lady rallies for Mansion restoration effort

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AUSTIN — When the first reports came in about the Governor's Mansion going up in flames, first lady Anita Perry knew that she had to get involved.

She announced Tuesday she will head a newly formed "Texas Governor's Mansion Restoration Fund," which is now accepting contributions to rebuild the 152-year-old mansion where Sam Houston once lived.

Construction workers are cleaning and shoring up the mansion and won't know for some time what it will cost to rebuild. Gov. Rick Perry and his wife had lived there for more than seven years but moved out last fall at the start of a $10 million renovation project.

"I was absolutely devastated," Anita Perry said of the phone call alerting the Perrys to the arsonist's fire nearly six weeks ago, while they were on a business trip in Sweden. "I couldn't help wonder if I would ever see the mansion standing again.

"When we found out about it, I said to Rick, 'I want to (raise money to rebuild the mansion). I want to do it for the state of Texas. I want to do it for the people of Texas,' " she said. "He thought about it and said, 'OK, do it.' "

Anita Perry hopes that individuals, groups and schoolchildren participate in the fundraising drive.

"This home is not just a house for governors. It is, as the late Ann Richards said, 'the people's house.' " she said.

It's important to get schoolchildren involved because "this is their history," she said.

The Legislature will have to appropriate funding next year as part of a public-private partnership to rebuild the mansion, she said. The job could require tens of millions of dollars.

Construction workers have cleaned debris and shored up the first floor.

After repeating that process on the second floor, the badly damaged roof will be removed and a temporary one placed over the house.

"We need to get inside the house and take a much closer look at the structure before the design team can even start to put together a plan, and that plan then, of course, determines the budget," said project contractor John Braun.